How to Shape a Gardenia Bonsai

by Monica Patrick

Natural-growing gardenia have wide creamy flowers and large waxy leaves.

A gardenia bonsai may look like a scraggly bush when you bring it home, but careful pruning over time creates the desired bonsai look. If allowed to grow uncontrollably, this bonsai returns to its natural large, bushy shape. Growing gardenia bonsai-style gives you a plant with tiny leaves and white flowers. To get the best shape, start with a dwarf gardenia like Gardenia jasminoides. There is no set shape for growing this type of bonsai; use the natural growth direction of the plant as your guide. Gardenia bonsai needs to be wired to fortify growth patterns, after the blooming season.

1

Touch the soil of the gardenia bonsai. It should be dry, not moist. Stop watering the plant one to two days before the wiring session. Remove all dead leaves and spent flowers from the plant. Use your fingers to gently pull the dead items away.

2

Place a measuring tape along the branch that you wish to shape. Add 1/3 the length to the measure that you took. For example, if the branch is 6 inches long, you would add 2 inches to the final measurement.

3

Clip a piece of wire, according to your measurement, using the wire cutters. Poke the end of the wire into the soil anchoring it around a sturdy root. Some bonsai pots have anchoring screws on the sides. If so, twist the end of the bonsai around the anchoring screw to secure it.

4

Wrap the wire piece at a 45-degree angle around the branch starting at the end closest to the trunk. Evenly wrap the wire around the branch, spacing each turn evenly. Clip away the excess wire, making a 90-degree upward at the end.

5

Cut a second piece of wire of equal length to the first. Slide the end of the wire around the tip of the branch, hooking it into the first wire. Use needle-nose pliers to secure the wire.

6

Pull the branch down gently into the position you desire. Listen for cracking and look for tearing; stop before you see or hear damage to avoid distressing the gardenia.

7

Twist the end of the wire into a pot anchor or into the soil firmly. Over time the tree will bend into shape.

About the Author

As a former senior sales director with Mary Kay and the co-owner of a renovation company, Monica Patrick has firsthand knowledge of small business operations. Besides start ups, she has extensive skills in recruiting, selling, leadership, makeup artistry and skin care.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Home Guides editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.